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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · racket · pop · staff · branch · hide · nail · band

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a music group
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bank — of a river
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pop — music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — soda
  11. branch — a division
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. staff — a stick
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bank — for money
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a ring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com